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Sunday, 8 November 2015

Jim's column 7.11.15

Two
home wins in four days have lifted the Sky Blues to within one point
of the League One leaders, Walsall, and excited the Ricoh faithful.
Six points, seven goals, with four of them from the goal machine Adam
Armstrong. He just cannot stop scoring at the moment and is setting
new records every week. He has now netted 12 league goals in his
first fourteen games, the most impressive start to a Coventry City
goalscoring career since Mick Quinn scored fourteen goals in his
first fourteen games in 1992-93. The legendary Clarrie Bourton netted
1eighteen goals in his first fourteen games in 1931.

His
two doubles in the past week have taken his total to five doubles in
the league already and emulates Quinn's feat that season. You have to
go back more than 50 years to find the previous scorer of five League
doubles – in the 1963-64 promotion season George Hudson netted six,
one of which was a hat-trick, something that Armstrong must surely
score soon. In the intervening years several players have scored five
doubles in League & Cup including Leon Clarke two years ago,
David McGoldrick in 2012-13 and Michael Mifsud in 2007-08.

On
Saturday against Peterborough he became the first City player to
score 10 league goals before the end of October since Mick Ferguson
in 1977-78. In 1963-64 the legendary George Hudson had scored 14 by
the end of October and added a further six in November!

City
fans are just praying that his club, Newcastle, don't recall him to
St James' Park and instead perhaps consider letting him stay for the
season.

The
Sky Blues are one point of automatic promotion pace. I believe an
average of two points a game (92 points total) will ensure a top two
finish and therefore avoid the risky play-offs. Only once in the last
twenty seasons would that total have failed to get automatic
promotion. After 16 games played and 31 points gathered, City are
close to that target.

Poor
old Peterborough must dread playing the Sky Blues away. For the
second season running they lost after leading 2-0 at half-time. Last
season goals from Ryan Haynes, Jim O'Brien and Frank Nouble gave City
the points with the first two goal turnaround for 19 years. Almost a
year to the day City repeated the feat, but left it till injury time
to secure the points. Two years ago at Sixfields Posh also lost 4-2
to the Sky Blues after leading 2-1 at half-time.

Tuesday
night's game was another thriller with some vibrant attacking, four
great goals and a somewhat scary period in the second half when a
desperate Barnsley team threw everything at a tired City. The final
score of 4-3 was the first such scoreline in a City match since 2001
when in Roland Nilsson's first home game as manager following the
departure of Gordon Strachan, the Sky Blues beat Manchester City 4-3.
It was also the first time City fans have seen seven goals in a game
at the Ricoh since the first season when on Dennis Wise's debut the
Sky Blues beat Derby 6-1.

In
Derby's defence that day was a youngster called Lewin Nyatanga who
must dread playing at the Ricoh. He was in Barnsley's back four on
Tuesday night in what was his eighth visit to the stadium- more than
any other player other than Jobi McAnuff. Thanks to Geoff Moore for
that fact. In eight visits the Welsh international has been on the
winning side just once (for Bristol City in 2010) and he has conceded
23 goals (almost three a game) with Derby, Bristol City and
Barnsley).

It
is sad for me to report the death of former City player Ken Cornbill.
Birmingham-born Ken passed away on 13th
October, aged 78. He was on City's books for 3-4 seasons in the 1950s
and although he never appeared for the first team, was a regular for
the reserves in that period. Ken, a speedy right-winger with a great
cross, was released by City in 1960 and joined Lockheed Leamington.
According to Leamington historian Paul Vanes he made a winning debut
at Hednesford on December 3rd when the Brakes triumphed by the odd in
five and he played at least 17 games scoring 4 goals that season.
With another ex-City man Ernie Ward playing at the top of his form,
Ken had to settle for a place in the Reserves. The following season
he appeared at least 16 times and netted a solitary goal and as a boy
I saw him play at the Windmill Ground. In 1963 he joined Tamworth and
it is believed he also played for Hednesford & Kidderminster.
Away from football he had jobs selling cigarette machines to pubs and
as a fork-lift driver in a carpet factory. In retirement he lived in
Telford and attended City's Legends Day in 2013.

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About Me

I have supported Coventry City FC since my first visit to Highfield Road in 1962. I am the club's official historian and have a regular column in the Coventry Telegraph. Here I would like to enable my readers who can't buy the paper to access my columns and comment.